Stolen Desire (The Lust List: Kaidan Stone #3) (11 page)

He groans with pleasure, and I slowly move up and down, breathing hard. He grabs me by the hips, and pulls me down forcefully on his cock, burying it deep within me. The feeling is so intense, I can't hold back anymore. I ride him faster, taking him inside me over and over. Every time I take him fully, a new wave of pleasure shoots through me.

Kaidan wraps his hands around my ass and squeezes, and I slow down a little as he takes one of my tits in his mouth.

I rock back and forth, grinding on him, my clit rubbing against him. Then he shoves me down hard on his cock again, filling me up. His arms wrap tightly around me, and I ride him higher and higher, the pleasure coming in waves, and we're both close to coming.

He grabs a fistful of my hair and moans just as I reach the top.

I let out a cry as my pussy clenches around him tightly. Warmth shoots through me, filling me up as he climaxes.

I collapse against him, breathing hard, my heart beating as fast as his is.

He holds me close and buries his face in my neck, kissing me.

He's still hard inside me, both of us throbbing when he pulls back to look at me. “I love you, Hayley.” His voice is deep, husky. “I meant what I said. I don't want to lose you.”

My heart swells at his words, and I give him a kiss. “I love you, too. You're not gonna lose me.” I kiss him again, longer this time.

When I have the energy to get off of him and stand back up, my legs are shaking. I go back under the shower and get more soap. “If you're wondering whether or not I'm staying the night… the answer's yes.”

Then he's there, wrapping his arms around me again. “Shit. We should have used a condom…”

“I'm on the pill. Don't worry.”

He nuzzles my neck. “Well, if you're staying the night… I have to warn you,” he says, his voice light. “I haven't been sleeping very well.”

I rub some of my soap on his chest, then meet his smirk with one of my own. “Who says I want to sleep?”

After our shower, Kaidan and I dry off and snuggle naked under the fluffy down comforter on his king size bed. I rest my head on his bare chest, and he holds me tight, his warm skin on mine. We're satisfied after what we just did, and he drifts off to sleep first. I listen in the darkness to his even breathing, to the steady thump of his heart. It feels like an eternity since our argument; I can't believe I was afraid of him earlier. All I feel is safe and right when I'm with him. And now I know he feels like I do.

He loves me.

A giddy feeling bubbles through me, and I lightly kiss his chest and roll over to get comfortable. He groans in his sleep and turns to spoon me. I've never felt this safe, never felt this happy. I never want to leave his side.

Sometime near dawn, when the first crack of gray light streams through Kaidan's drawn curtains, I wake. We slept straight through the night, despite Kaidan's warnings. Did he sleep well without his medication, with me by his side? The thought warms me.

Kaidan's breathing is even, but he draws me closer in his sleep, pressing himself against my back. Longing shoots through me, and by the way he's already getting hard, I'm certain he'll be waking up soon to take me like last night.

But I can taste the stale alcohol on my breath, and my bladder's complaining. That's not what I want him to wake up to for the first time. I gently lift his arm from around me and crawl out of bed to grab an abandoned towel to wrap around myself. Before I leave, I cast one last look back at him.

His tan, smooth skin, chiseled features, well-toned arms. He's so handsome lying there. A little thrill travels through me from the top of my head into my toes. I love him. And he loves me. He wants to be with me and only me.

I tiptoe out the door and gently close it behind me. I'm smiling as I hurry down to my room. There's an unwrapped toothbrush in my bathroom, so I freshen up quickly and pee, then debate if I want to grab some clothes to bring back to the room with me.

I'm standing there naked when I hear the vibrations coming from the dresser. My phone is going off. It's gotta be… seven a.m. or earlier. Who could be calling?

I dig my phone out of my bag and check. A text message. With a picture from an unknown number.

As I pull it up, I very nearly drop my phone.

There's a picture of Rowan with a black eye and bloodied face, sitting on a chair. No. He's
cuffed
to a chair.

My hands are shaking as I scroll down to read the message.

Time is up. If you want to see him again, bring us our money today. Will call with the address in three hours.

I sink down on the nearest chair, struggling to breathe. They're serious. I'm out of time. Would they really kill Rowan to punish me?

I let out a little whimper, and without thinking anything through, I get moving. I tear a brush through my hair and pull it back in a ponytail, then throw on my clothes from yesterday. It takes me several attempts to get the zipper up on my skirt, because my hands are shaking too much. I consider my knee-high boots and then abandon them. They're not good for sneaking. I pull on a simple pair of flats from the rack and grab my purse and car keys off the dresser.

I head out into the hallway and stop. My chest constricts, and I can't breathe. I lean against the wall. I'm going to have another panic attack if I don't find a way to calm down. I have to get control over myself and
think
. I need a plan.

I don't have the money. I can't get the money without the diamond. Serena Lynn left the diamond here. Maybe. I don't know.

Kaidan.

I can't tell him about any of this. I can't. If he finds out, he'll think I've been using him this whole time, that I always planned to steal the diamond. He'll think I'm a liar… I could have told him about my problems, and I never did.

My brother has to come first. The only person left in my family comes
first
.

A little voice in my brain tells me my logic's flawed somehow, that I need to wait and come up with a better plan, but I can't afford to wait.

I don't have time.

I glide down the hallway, away from Kaidan's room and away from the staircase. Toward the master bedroom. Or at least where I expect it to be, at the end of this hall. Kaidan said all the private rooms were down this hallway.

I feel light and completely numb as I reach the end of the hall and turn the knob.

The door creaks open. Not even locked.

My heart's beating a million miles a minute as I step into the dark room. Only a little dawn light moves through the curtains that span the far wall, and I stand there, half-terrified, blinded by the dark room. I'm petrified Serena and Calvin came home during the night. But they said they were going to a resort.

My eyes adjust. Definitely the master bedroom. It's enormous, with a huge wooden bed in the corner. An
empty
bed. I swallow hard and shut the door behind me. If Kaidan catches me here, I'm so fucked.

I glance around for hidden security cameras, but I don't see any. I can't worry about it. My brother is in serious danger. I'll worry about the consequences later.

I glance around to get my bearings, heart racing. There's a vanity over against the far wall, so I check it first. I carefully open each drawer, but they're full of make-up. No jewelry.

Where did my mother keep her jewelry in our mansion? The closet.

I look around for the closet door. There are three doors in here. The first one leads to a massive bathroom. The second opens up to a closet, but I see suits hanging there. Calvin's closet.

I'm feeling antsy. I can't get caught in here. I can't.

I try the last door. It's another closet, but this one opens up into a new room. It's as big as my bedroom in my penthouse.

I step inside and flick on the light. I glance around for cameras, but again, I see nothing in here except clothes and accessories. Clothes hang on high racks built into the walls. Wooden shelves line the space, displaying at least a hundred pairs of shoes and the same number of bags, if not more.

Normally my klepto brain would be activated at the site of all these high-end clothes and bags, but it's locked in on one thing and one thing only. The diamond.

Then I see it. A cabinet built into one corner.

I hurry over to it, clutching my purse tight in my fist, and open the cabinet door. It swings out toward me. No lock,
nothing
.

Could it really be this easy?

Rings, bracelets, necklaces. I've found Serena's jewelry.

I scan the chains hanging from the cabinet door. It's just hanging there, glittering in the bright closet light. The enormous diamond my father gave Serena for their engagement. The solution to removing the one condition in his will. The diamond that will get me my money and save my brother.

I suck in a breath, and my heart beats a staccato rhythm against my ribs as I lift the necklace off the hook. My brain's screaming at me to put it the fuck back, but my heart knows I have to take it. I have to get the money. I have to save Rowan.

That thought makes me feel numb again, and I resolutely open my purse. It’s an old purse from Boston, so it has a tear in the lining—a legacy of my shoplifting days. I used to tear holes in the interior of my purses so I could shoplift small items and hide them in the space between the leather and the lining.

I tease apart the barely perceptible slit and slide the necklace through. The diamond's so big, it makes a small bump on the outside of the purse. But the leather is gathered there, ruched, so the bump isn't too noticeable. I originally bought this purse for that very reason. So it would conceal what I stole.

I shut off the light and hurry back to the door. Sweat pops up on my forehead as I cross the huge bedroom. Each step feels like a mile, like I'll never reach the hall, like I'll never get away with this.

Right as I'm putting my hand on the knob, it turns. I hear voices on the other side.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuuuuuck.

I dart to the side of the door, so when it opens I'll be concealed.

It swings open, and I hold my breath, paralyzed. I see two maids in black and white through the crack in the door. They push their cleaning cart into the room, chattering in Spanish the whole time.

Don't close the door. Don't close the door.

Good God, please don't close the door.

I try to figure out what they're saying, but my Spanish is rudimentary at best.

Baño
.
Bathroom.
They're talking about cleaning the bathroom. I hope.

I hold my breath as they move the cart over the wooden floor. I can't see. I'm totally blind.

I hear water running. Then some laughter. Are they both in there? What if the door is open? They'll have a clear shot of me if I try to leave.

But I have to risk it. Once they're done with the bathroom, they'll clean the bedroom. Then they'll see me for sure.

I peer around the door slowly, just enough to glimpse the bathroom. The door's wide open, and I can see the women. One's cleaning the tub, one's working on the sink.

But neither are looking my way.

It's now or never.

I step around the door and into the open. I back through the door slowly, trying not to create a sudden flash of movement for the maids to pick up on. My eyes are riveted on them.

One step. Two steps. One of the maids turns, but she doesn't look at the doorway. Three steps. I'm out of sight.

I whirl around in the empty hallway and take off my shoes. Then I tiptoe the hell out of there as fast as I can.

When I reach the door to my room, I put my shoes back on and try to look natural as I walk right past Kaidan's room and head for the stairs.

My guilt grows with each step, filling my chest up until I feel I might burst from the pain of it.

When I reach the foyer, I stop in front of the door, unable to open it. How could I do this to Kaidan?

He said he loved me. And now I'm betraying him, stealing from him in his own home. And even if I
could
bring myself to betray him like this, how the hell do I expect to actually get away with it?

I haven't been thinking clearly since I saw that picture of my brother. If I do this, if I walk out the door, Kaidan will never forgive me. And if he finds out I stole the diamond, and he probably will, I could be sent to jail.